When the couple got their white friend to pose as the landlord, their house was suddenly valued at another $500,000.
A black couple settled a lawsuit with a real estate appraiser who underestimated their California home nearly half a million dollars.
Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate Austin’s four-bedroom residence in Sausalito, near San Francisco, has been valued at $998,000 by Janette Miller, co-owner of Miller and Perotti Real Estate Appraisers. That figure was $455,000 lower than the estimate made for the previous mortgage refinance in 2019.
Feeling that they the house was worth a lot more moneyThe Austins asked one of their White friends to impersonate the owner of their house. They revalued the house and suddenly it was worth $1.48 million.
The Austins decided to sue Miller and her company, arguing that her score was “a direct product of racial discrimination.”
The case was settled out of court and Miller agreed to pay the couple an undisclosed amount of money. The settlement also includes an unusual twist: the appraiser also had to watch “Our America: low scorea documentary about their whitewashed saga.
Miller’s lawyers initially responded to the allegations of racism by writing a defence, stating: “There is nothing intrinsically racist about choosing comparable properties located in the same city as the property without any direct (or indirect) evidence. actual racial discrimination, Miller’s choice of comparable objects cannot serve as a basis for Plaintiff’s allegation of discrimination.”
RACISM INCREASES ALZHEIMER’S RISK FOR NON-WHITE AMERICANS, HHS ACKNOWLEDGES IN NEW REPORT
However real estate appraiser in san francisco eventually agreed to an out-of-court settlement.
“I think everyone involved in this case was ready to move on,” said Caroline Pitti, executive director of Fair Housing, San Jose Mercury News.
“Obviously we felt we had a strong case, otherwise we wouldn’t have pursued them,” she added. “[But] Filing a lawsuit based on evidence is one and the same. How will the judge judge? this is a separate question. You are never sure of a particular outcome.”
Credit: www.foxbusiness.com /